#TMNT Lit

[mermmarie]

Wash Day

Pair: Donatello x Black Female Reader

Word Count: 4k

Rating: T?? (Characters depicted are adults)

Content/Trigger Warnings: N/A

Author Notes: Sooo… This is a bit random but I wanted to practice writing more fluff and felt compelled to do this. Sometimes it feels like I'm the only black person in the fandom, lol… So, I wrote this for the Melanin Queens out there.

I didn't go into great detail about hair type/hair length/hair products, because I wanted to keep this as open as possible for readers, but skin is: 'bronze", eyes are: "dark" and hair is: "coily/wavey."

(Slight spoiler: I also don't go into styling for this same reason.)

For my black girlies: I hope you enjoy. For everyone else: I hope you'll enjoy reading from a different perspective~ 🤎

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It shouldn’t have surprised you that Donatello had taken interest in a routine of yours. He was very attentive of all details about you… It was how he was with everyone if you were being honest. He liked to study and make note of things which made sense since he was the scientist of the group. But it was kind of different for him to specifically ask if you could demonstrate your hair washing process to him.

He had wanted to hang out and when you told him you wouldn’t have time because it was wash day you didn’t expect him to casually suggest allowing him to observe. You explained to him that you had nearly gone a whole month without cleaning your hair, so it would be a long and somewhat boring process from an outsider's perspective, but that didn’t deter him. He only smiled and suggested that the time would pass more quickly with company and that he was curious to learn about the procedure.

So… You invited him over to… watch.

It still felt weird that he was going to be observing. You had never done something like this for anyone before. Not even past lovers… Not that you and Donatello were a thing or anything like that…  But it was just a personal routine that you had done on your own for a long time now. You never thought about how someone else might find it interesting, especially a mutant turtle man who didn’t have a single hair follicle on his being. 

Although, you had caught him grazing the ends of your locks with the tip of his fingers once. In retrospect, the act had been harmless. But at the time, you had reared on him so quickly; thinking it was Mikey instead who had once bawled his green sausages into your luscious mane and messed up the style you had put your hair in for the day. The reaction miiight’ve  scared Donatello from showing more interest until now.

Amidst your surprise, you hadn’t thought about the arrangements of your process. Normally, you did your work in the bathroom of your apartment. However, with Donatello coming over to watch, you felt it would be too cramped and personal… But the alternative was breaking your neck over the kitchen sink, since you didn’t have a detachable hose to work with. So, the shower it was… Although unlike your typical wash day experience, you’d be clothed during. 

You wore a two-piece swimsuit under an old, light colored tee with black gym shorts. It felt strange stepping into the porcelain tub with all the garments on, especially since Donatello was just as dressed down as you were. And by that you meant: without his tech. 

He had been standing just in front of your bathroom doorway, hands intertwined thoughtfully at his waist. Thankfully, the ceiling of the room had been high enough to where he didn’t have to crouch to fit in with his giant form but since it was a bathroom, and the two of you were just hanging out, he left his tech… elsewhere in your apartment.

As if he would go anywhere without his gadgets. 

Still, it was one of the few times you saw him dressed so casually. He traded in his usual maintenance suspenders for black sweats tucked into some frankensteined basketball sneakers versus his signature boots. He still donned his trademark features such as his purple mask and tortoiseshell glasses of course. But overall, his whole demeanor looked more relaxed despite being in a private space with you.

“So…um…” you trailed off into a nervous laugh. “I was never good with presentations.” You joked as you turned towards your shower's knobs.

“You’re doing fine.” Donatello smiled warmly at you.

Your cheeks warmed in return, so you focused your attention away from him before he could notice your complexion darkening. You grabbed both the hot and cold handles of the shower. Turning them both about halfway, water came rushing out of the bottom faucet. You bent down a little bit, touching one hand to the running water to gauge its temperature. Dialing the cold handle back, the water began to heat up until it was at your preferred temperature of hot. 

Turning your head back to him, you spoke. “So, like with cleaning most things, I start off with hot water. It makes detangling my hair much easier and removes grime and buildup from the product I use.” You shrugged and quickly added, “Oh! And hot water opens the pores on my scalp.” You brought your hands to the top of your head and ever so lightly scratched at it in a show of the motion of exfoliating. 

Donatello nodded his head in acknowledgement, so you continued. 

Pulling up the diverter valve of the bottom faucet, your shower head came to life. 

You flinched a little when the water hit you. Not used to the feeling of being clothed when it happened, but you fell into your usual rhythm after the initial impact. Turning your back to the water, you dipped your head back and directly into the stream. You stood in place, turning your head back in forth slowly so the water would fully soak your hair. A few rogue streams cascaded down your face, and your eyes instinctively shut at the sensation. Feeling your locks become significantly heavier, you knew that they were thoroughly drenched and primed for detangling. 

You wiped water from your eyes before opening them enough to glance at him. Seeing him patiently waiting for your input, you continued with the process. “I wait until my hair is pretty soaked before detangling it. Some people will use a special brush like this,” you bent over in the tub to pick up the nylon tool in question. 

Using both of your hands, you spread the bristles open, showing the wide length in between them and the brushes flexibility. “This is specifically a detangling brush. It’s made to be so open and have give because you want something that glides through your hair effortlessly. The more resistance the more likely you are to cause breakage and frizz. Although, I generally prefer to use my fingers for the process. More control that way.” 

“Interesting… May I?” Donatello extended his arm.

You smiled a little, finding amusement in the fact that he was curious about a hairbrush, but you gave it to him anyways. It only made you smile more when he turned it over in his hands and surveyed it like it was some ancient relic. 

As he poked and prodded at the bristles you got to work. Gently, you combed through your hair with your fingers. Your eyes falling shut again as you relaxed into the process. You went over it in sections. Going through it a couple of times until it felt akin to a hot knife cutting through butter. 

You opened your eyes and glanced Donnie’s way to speak again, but noticed his attention wasn’t on you anymore… Or at least, wasn’t on your hair.

His gaze had drifted lower, which made yours do the same. Searching for whatever it was that pulled his focus, a brow arched in confusion when you couldn’t find anything. You then wondered if there had been a stain or something of the like on your shirt, but there was nothing incriminating on the now translucent fabric. 

You looked up at him questioningly, but his eyes were elsewhere now. Off to the side, looking into your bathroom mirror for seemingly no reason. It was then that you noticed the color on his cheeks were the faintest shade darker and it hit you.

You looked down to your chest again, which had been drenched in water. Your light tee was practically invisible as it clung to your glistening bronze skin, but you had prepared for that by wearing the two piece. Though, you couldn’t deny how good your breast had looked sopping wet with the creases of your shirt folding into your cleavage. 

“...Perv.” You smirked, and stopped running your fingers through your hair momentarily to fling some water at him.

He recoiled as if the droplets had stung him and his green complexion darkened even more on his face. He fiddled with the brush in his hands but said nothing in defense. You saw a small smile creep up on his face, and his eyes flickered back to you shyly as he felt your staring presence. 

You huffed with satisfaction before continuing. “Now that my hair is detangled, it can go one of two ways. If I wanna be in and out of the shower, I’ll just run my shampoo through my hair. But if I’m doing a deep clean, I’ll part it into twists; but the later usually takes longer so to save you some boredom I’ll–”

“No! No!” Donatello faced you again, holding out a halting hand. “You don’t have to worry about me. Please, take your time.”

“Seriously?” Your brows knitted. “Isn’t it… kind of boring? I mean, I know you're a genius and all so you like learning about stuff but– this isn’t really something of use to you.”

“Sure it is. It’s an important process of your lifestyle, and I…” His sentence began to taper off as he realized what he was saying. You noticed the deeper green in his cheeks come up again.

“like learning things about you...” He muttered but you were able to make it out through the sound of the rushing water. 

Feeling the all too familiar heat, you were certain your cheeks had darkened in hue now. 

“Okay… Do you at least want to grab a chair or something?” 

A soft chuckle shook his shoulders. “I’m fine, thank you. I’ve endured far worse in the Hashi.”

“Alright… ” You cocked your head and averted your eyes to the bottom of the tub. “I section my hair into twists, because it makes sure my hair stays untangled, and it’s easier to clean my scalp that way…” You mumbled bashfuly.

You were teasing him only moments ago. How the hell had he turned it on you so quickly?! 

Donatello watched attentively as you weaved your fingers through your hair. Lapping the coily strands over one another into loose twists. They were firm enough to hold their shape underneath the constant current of the water, but lax enough to not cause damage to the cuticles. When you were nearing the end of that process, he suddenly spoke. 

“Could I?...” 

Your dark eyes rounded at the implication. 

“...You wanna try twisting my hair?” You asked for confirmation. 

He nodded his head gently. “If that’s alright with you.”

“Uh… Sure, but… you’ll get wet.”

He huffed at the notion, smirking slightly. “Water doesn’t bother me.”

“Offf course it doesn’t. You’re a turtle. Duh.” You chided yourself. 

You turned your shower off temporarily, not wanting to waste water and then you nodded your head at him, signaling for him to come forth. You faced the unfinished side of your head towards him and waited in silence for his touch. 

You drew in a breath and held it, feeling his large digits take your delicate hair into his hands. 

He was gentle, which didn’t come as a surprise. You had watched him work on gizmos and gadgets a lot, and you witnessed how precise and delicate he could be. Even with hands that were two times as big as yours. You felt him wind a section of your locks together and then pull away. 

Leaning into your peripheral view, the top of his mask pushed upwards behind his glasses, giving a look of uncertainty. 

How’s that?” He asked, and you pawed the section. 

It wasn’t like you had tasked him to do some kind of difficult braid, but you were still impressed that the end result had felt similar to one of your own. Especially since you assumed it was his first time doing such.

“It’s good.” You glanced up at him with a small smile on your face. “Just one more section if you don’t mind.”

His chest swelled and he beamed at your approval, nodding his head eagerly. “Not at all.” 

When he finished, you moved right into the shampooing process. 

“Since it’s been about a month since I last washed my hair, I’m gonna shampoo twice.” You said, bending over to the rim of the tub and picking up your preferred choice of shampoo. “The bottle says to use a dime worth but–” You blew a raspberry and playfully rolled your eyes. “I don’t fuck with dimes. Quarters at a minimum. ” 

Donatello chuckled again at your remark.

You squeezed the desired amount into one hand. Setting the bottle back on the rim of the tub, you pressed your hands together. Rubbing the substance between your palms until it was a nice lathered consistency. You pulled the shampoo to your fingertips and then applied it to your scalp. Firmly, but carefully working it into your pores.

You closed your eyes again as you worked. Not caring if that meant Donatello would sneak more glances at your body while you did so.

“I give it a nice scrub down for a good…. Thirty-seconds to a minute. Then rinse.”

“You're not gonna cover your twist?” Donatello spoke in an inquiring tone.

“No, the water will carry the shampoo down and through them. Plus, it’s why I do two washes.” You opened your eyes to give him a wink. 

His brow line jumped, and he smiled down at you. “I see…” 

Turning the shower back on, you did your first rinse and then left the water running for the second. 

Bringing up the bottle to dispense some more shampoo, you paused when Donatello spoke.

“May I?” He asked again and you looked at him just as surprised as before. 

It was one thing to do your twists, but to wash your hair? The only other people to do it were your parents and your stylist. You weren’t sure if you wanted to get that personal with him…

“S-Sure.” 

Ok– Maybe you did want to get that personal with him.

Before you could hand him the bottle, he did something else that thoroughly surprised you. He lifted a foot, and ducked down to remove his shoe and sock, then did the same with the other foot. He placed both articles neatly together and off to the side of the bathroom, and then stepped into the tub behind you before you could object. 

Your eyes widened and mouth hung open with disbelief. Instantly, you felt a feverish heat rush up to your chest and up your neck to your face. The embarrassment seemed a bit foolish considering the both of you were technically clothed but-- he had gotten in the shower with you like it was nothing!!

You quickly turned forward out of sheer panic and sputtered. “Y-Your pants!” He was fast with a response. “Trust me, they’ve been through worse.”

“Won’t your glasses fog up?”

“I designed them to have anti-fog lenses.”

“I didn’t bring a towel for you!”

“Then I’ll just wait in here for you to bring me one.” You could hear a smile in his tone and it made the corners of your mouth twitch.

“You’re a tall shit, you know that?” You huffed and he did as well before extending an arm in front of you. 

He held out his palm and flexed it open and close in a grabbing motion. Physically asking for the shampoo bottle. You plopped it in his hand and remained facing forwards. Taking the brunt of the water to your chest. 

“A quarters worth?” He asked.

“Mhmm.” You hummed in response. 

You could hear him rubbing the substance between his hands, but you weren’t prepared for the warm touch of his fingertips against your scalp. You flinched in an exaggerated manner and he immediately pulled away. 

“Sorry! Did I press too hard?” This time he sounded genuinely concerned. 

“...No, I just– It’s nothing.” You shook your head lightly. Taking in a deep breath, you composed yourself and held your chin up. “Go ahead.” You commanded and braced yourself for his touch this time. 

He waited a few seconds before bringing his finger tips to your head again. He pressed them carefully into your scalp and slowly started moving his fingers in small circles. Your head gently rocked at the motion and the two of you stood in silence for a few seconds as he worked.

“.....You can go a little harder.” You instructed.

“O-okay…” He said hesitantly but did as he was told. 

He kneaded his fingertips firmly against your head and you couldn’t help but crane your neck backwards to add to the effect. It wasn’t long before your eyelids fell heavy and you relaxed into his hands. Allowing him to massage your scalp clean. You relished in how good it felt not having to break your neck over the salon sink, but still having someone else to do the work. 

Despite it being his first wash, he had managed to apply the perfect amount of pressure that your conscious almost drifted away, but the constant stream of water kept your senses alert. He seemed to recognize your peaceful state however, as he leaned in close to speak in a hushed tone. 

“I think you’re ready to rinse…” The words tickled your ear and sent a delightful shiver down your spine. 

Reluctantly, you opened your eyes.

Donatello stepped backwards, giving you the space to turn around in the shower so you could position yourself underneath the water again. Putting your back to the water, you let it run over you. Gently rubbing out the bubbles and suds on your scalp. 

With clean hair, you shut off your shower and started the final process of your routine. 

“So… You’re undoing your twist now?” He asked in a curious tone. 

“Yes, because unlike with the shampoo, I do want to cover every inch of my hair with conditioner.” You answered as you unraveled one section. “Hand me that little tub over there.” You pointed and waited for him to retrieve the product for you.

He took a second to examine the label on the back of the container before handing it over to you. You twist open the top, and placed it down on the rim of the tub before holding it up and within the vicinity of his face. 

“Smell.” You scooped out a glob of the product onto your fingers and held the container with your other hand for him to take. 

He took the container from you, bringing it up to his snout and taking a dainty whiff of it. His eyes grew a little and he looked at you with recognition. “Oooh. So, this is what makes your hair smell so good.”

“That and a few other products.” You giggled as you applied the thick cream to your strands. “Sooo… You’ve smelled my hair before?” You raised a brow at him and smirked teasingly. 

“Not in a creepy way.” He mimicked your expression.

“Mhmm .”

“I’m a mutant turtle. Turtles naturally have a heightened sense of smell, and when you combine that with biogenetic mutation–”

“Yeah! Yeah! You’re in the clear!” You waved him off with a hand. “For now…”

Pulling out each section of twists, you lathered your locks with a generous amount of conditioner. Donatello reached out with his free hand and gently touched the ends of your hair with his fingertips. His head cocking slightly as he admired your freshly cleaned coils. 

“It already looks rejuvenated.”

“Just wait and see how it looks tomorrow.” 

He lifted his head at your comment. “Tomorrow?” He echoed. 

You blinked at the question but then realized that he probably assumed you’d be washing out the conditioner immediately. “Oh! Yeah,” you bent down picking up a small bottle of ochre colored liquid infused with crushed herbs. Twisting the cap off of it, you used the attached dropper to apply the product to your hair. Stroking it in with the conditioner. “This is why I generally can’t hang out on wash day. It’s an overnight process.” You answered. 

Pulling your hair back into a loose bun, you reached across Donatello and grabbed the towel that was hanging on a rack next to the tub. You used it to dry only your face and body before folding it around you and stepping out of the shower. 

“I wrap my head up with a shower cap, and then my bonnet.” You picked up a plastic head wrap from your bathroom sink counter and then the satin one to show him the two head pieces before putting them on in said order. “The heat coming off my head underneath the wraps will essentially bake the product into my cuticles. And the longer I do that for, the better… In my opinion.” You shrugged and smiled a little. 

“O-Oh… So, technically the process is done in the morning then?” He asked.

“Or whenever I wake up.” 

You watched with confusion, however, when Donatello’s gaze dropped to the bottom of the tub. Cocking your head, you waited for him to speak, but seconds passed in silence. Just as you parted your lips to call out to him, he looked back up at you. 

“I guess you’ll have to show me how you style your hair another time then.” One side of his mouth quirked into what looked like a disappointed smile. “I have to get back to the sewers before day break, and I shouldn’t move in the light either…” He cupped his hands below his waist and shrugged as well.

“The whole… ‘work in the shadows’ thing. ”

“Oh… Right.” Your lips stayed agape as you thought on his circumstances. You knew them to be true, and they were completely justified. Even though there were a handful of humans that did know about his existence, he and his family wanted to remain unknown to the general public. He wouldn’t be able to return to your apartment until the next night, and while the treatment would stay in your hair for at least eight hours; you weren’t sure if it would be advised to leave it in any longer than that.

Your tongue swiped over your bottom lip while you considered your options. You could do a thirty-minute treatment instead, or make another day with him styling your hair.

…..Or a third option.

Your fingertips rubbed together at your sides, and you bit your lip at the idea. It was probably too forward, but you wouldn’t know until you suggested it. 

“Or…” You started and instantly felt your cheeks burn hot. “You could stay the night?...” You looked to him with arched brows before quickly adding, “If you want! And if that’s okay?..”

His bottom lip dropped and his eyes blinked rapidly behind his glasses. The smooth confidence he emitted before seemed to have vanished as he was loss for words. You winced at the silence that filled the space between the two of you again, but the motion must’ve turned a gear in his head. Suddenly, he jolted and nodded eagerly. 

“Ye-Yeah!!” He sputtered out. Flush darkening his cheeks as well. “That would be fine! I just– will have to let the others know that I won’t be coming home till later…” His sentence trailed off at the end as his gaze dropped again, although it was clear that he was processing everything in his head.

You couldn’t help but to giggle and feel satisfaction in catching him off guard. 

“Cool.” You smiled. “We can stay up late playing video games, or watch some movies.”

Or cuddle… You thought.

“Two of my favorite things to do with my favorite person!...” 

You watched his eyes widen with panic when you gave him a look of surprise. He held up his hands, and went to speak, but you quickly cut him off by ducking out of the bathroom. You returned shortly after with a fluffy large towel in hand, and Donatello was still standing in the tub. You chucked the towel into his chest, and he grasped it with one hand.

“Make sure you wipe down good. You wouldn’t want to get your 'favorite persons’ couch wet.” You winked at him. 

Eventually, his faced relaxed into a soft smile. “Right.”

The two of you stared at each other with content for several seconds before you broke the silence with another teasing remark. 

“I’mma see if I got a bonnet that will fit your head.” You snickered and he chortled. 

[gornackeaterofworlds]

Rise turtles in Bay style

Screenshot below

[adebauchedsloth]

I'm gonna let that thumbnail of the chapter art just speak for the chapter contents.

Full art below, with line art.

Taglist: @ladypok3, @iridescentflamingo, @milykins, @sophiacloud28, @ninnosaurus

[redstringraven]

pov your partner's about to turn the farmhouse bathroom into a toad paradise (aka hiding our sins from april's holy peepers pt 87).

[azucar-skull]

When the filler episode becomes a part of the lore

[wizard-legs]

Quick sketchy painting of Donnie bc I saw tmnt: mutant mayhem 2 nights ago and he’s SUCH a nerd. Fighting the urge to make little tiny glasses to put on my keychain of him because they’re just so real

[tuttle-4077]

Introduced my girls to TMNT. My favourite turtle is Donatello. He's also the favourite for my 5 year old (birthday girl!). My oldest (7) likes Mikey. Who is your favourite turtle?

[a-krowjones]

A WILD KROW APPEARED!

My AU version of Casey Jones Jr. from Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, who goes by the name of Krow Jones.

WILL ONLY RP WITH 18+ ROLEPLAYERS.

( HOME. ) ( CARRD. ) ( RULES. ) ( MUSE. ) ( MUN. ) ( ASK. )

▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁

It is said that when one does things and later reaps the consequences, the past catches up with them. But what were to happen if one caught up with the past?

Well, that was the story of Krow’s life.

The future was full of unspeakable terror and pain as the war against the Krang raged on, and Krow only got a taste of it. As the end drew near, he was sent back in time on a mission by his sensei to find a key and stop the Krang from taking over the world.

When the key got compromised and the Krang came through the portal, Krow despaired. He knew their doomed fate, and it felt like the final act was playing out in slow motion.

Yet like bold voyagers who chart their own course across the unknown, the heroes of the past blazed the trails of their destiny. With hope in their hearts, they rocked the universe so hard that it sent shock waves through time and space. That day, fate was nudged in a more fortunate direction. Their demise was prevented, and the past timeline was saved from the slimy tentacles of the Krang.

Krow’s mission was complete. Now what was he — a young man from the future, a “time anomaly” (as he had been described by the genius turtle), a person who did not belong there — supposed to do? He had yet to figure that out himself.

Every day was a new adventure, and the ride so far had been pretty intense. If he had his way, Krow would glide along for a bit, get his bearings, and figure out how to survive his biggest challenge yet: the crazy, crowded, noisy, blindingly bright, breakneck-paced past. There was much to see, learn, and do, all while being barraged by overwhelming sensations. Baby steps, the family assured him, were key. But while he took his time discovering the new world of the past, Krow figured that he wouldn’t mind some company.

[kaiteki-dons]

Hey guys, we finally picked an official name for the AU of AUs

Introducing...

It means "Space of Comfort" in Japanese. We'll call it Kaiteki for short, which means "Comfort"

Also, this drawing took me from 8-10 hours. My hands already hurt but this made it all so much worse TwT ~Sinner

[mermmarie]

The Red String of Fate

Authors Notes: So, I had been thinking about this idea for a while, and admittingly I started this ahead of OC x Canon week, but the idea fits perfectly for the Day 3 prompt: Soulmate. So please enjoy chapter 1 of my Red String of Fate fanfic featuring Donnie!

Pair: Donatello x Reader

Word Count: 2k

Rating: T?? (Although, characters depicted are adults)

Content/Trigger Warnings: Mention of blood.

||Chapter 1|| ||Chapter 2|| ||Chapter 3|| ||Chapter 4||

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Chapter 1: Cosmically Bound

The Red String of Fate was a fairy tale you didn’t believe in anymore. A long time ago, yes, but after so many rejections, heartbreaks and betrayals how could you now? It was silly to even consider it a possibility in the first place. Just the idea that two people could be romantically bound by some magical, crimson colored thread was ridiculous. Especially when there was a zero point zero, zero, zero, zero, zero, zero, zero three percent chance of it happening to anyone, let alone you.

While it was a fantasy you daydreamt about from time to time, you understood that it was just that; A fantasy. So, when you noticed a string of red laced around your ring finger, your first initial thought was that your head was in the clouds once more, dreaming of the impossible. However, the usual trick of closing your eyes and shaking your head of the thoughts only made the fantasies disappear, but the little red string remained. 

You straightened in your recliner, head cocking curiously as you focused your gaze on the thread. You flexed and curled your fingers, thinking that the illusion might disappear if you were to physically affect reality, but just as before, it stayed. A small gasp escaped your mouth when you lifted your hand into the air and the string extended. Following the red thread, your eyes grew wide with disbelief when it pointed out the window that was lined up next to your chair and suddenly all the dull sounds of New York were drowned out by the pounding of your heart in your ears. 

Somewhere out there in the bustling city was your soulmate. 

-----------------------------------------------------

SCANNING.

UNKNOWN PERSON NO.1

SEX: MALE

HEIGHT: 6 FT 0”

WEIGHT: 190 LBS

OBJECTS ON PERSON: SWITCH BLADE 

SCANNING.

UNKNOWN PERSON NO.2

SEX: MALE

HEIGHT: 6 FT 2”

WEIGHT: 211 LBS

OBJECTS ON PERSON: CROWBAR

SCANNING.

UNKNOWN PERSON NO.3

SEX: MALE

HEIGHT: 5 FT 9”

WEIGHT: 173 LBS

OBJECTS ON PERSON: BOX CUTTER 

Fittingly, Unknown Person No.1 had struck first, then Unknown Person No.2, but Unknown Person No.3 had decided to stay behind. Possibly a strategic tactic to fall back and assess the situation first, but it was more likely that he was just a coward. Although, his Sensei had taught him that a wise man was able to recognize when he was beaten. Unfortunately, none of them were wise. Just foolish thugs thinking they had the upper hand in the situation because it was three versus one. 

The realization came quickly to Unknown Person No.3 however when Donatello easily disarmed and knocked out his fellow associates. The whites of his eyes became more evident as the lean turtle approached him. His shoulders inching upwards and nearly touching his ears while he attempted to put on a menacing scowl, but by the way his teeth clattered against each other the front was obvious. Still, like a cornered rat, fear driven adrenaline compelled him to make a move, despite having already witnessed how that turned out for his comrades. 

Donatello effortlessly maneuvered out of the way of his first attack, and prepared himself to counter in the midst of his recuperation but faltered after having noticed something peculiar… 

As his metal staff spun between his large green digits, he saw a contrast of red on the smallest finger of his left hand. For a split second he assumed it was blood, thinking he somehow had been wounded in his scrap with the other two crooks, but there was no open gash or cut present on his hand. His eyes narrowed behind his goggles to focus his vision on the stark color and he brought his appendage closer to his view, nearly forgetting that he was in the middle of a fight until a familiar voice called out to him.

“Donnie!!” They warned and he flinched. Fear striking him when his gaze snapped to the short blade of the box cutter that was being thrust towards his face. Luckily, years of reflex training had him move just in time to avoid a critical injury, but he didn’t go unharmed. Unknown Person No.3 managed to nick him on the top of his cheek just below his left eye. Ignoring the sudden appearance of red momentarily, he turned his attention back to the thug and spun his bo into his diaphragm.

Another one of his Sensei’s lessons about ‘ never underestimating his enemies ’ and ‘ to remain focused during battle ’ echoed in the purple-coded mutants’ head and spite burned between his brows. Just as the man recovered from the air being knocked out of his lungs and he lifted his head, Donatello smacked him across the face with the tip of his staff. The man finally falling to the ground and unconscious. 

Bastard.  

Before he had time to inspect his injury, his cold-colored brother was at his side with his hands on his shoulders.

“Donnie, are you okay?” He asked, but didn’t wait for his answer. Instead, he moved his hands to his face, maneuvering it into a position where he could get a better look on the cut of his cheek. His normally, cool-blue eyes we’re blown up with a look of fear that Donatello didn’t witness often, and it had him reconsidering the severity of the attack. However, the anticipation that built in his chest subsided when Leonardo’s gaze softened. 

“Bad news; it’s gonna scar. Good news; you’ll finally match the rest of us.” He smirked. 

Donatello huffed and pulled his face out of his brothers’ hands. Pushing his goggles to the top of his head and sheathing his bo staff to his shell. 

“What happened back there, Donnie? I kind of expect Mikey to lose his head in the clouds but not you.” He pressed. 

Donatello grumbled and dropped his gaze. He could feel that his eyes wanted to wander back to his left hand, but he was almost too afraid to look. As he swung his final blow on the assailant, he caught the crimson color in his view again and recognized it for what it really was. He had heard of the ‘Red String of Fate’ as a myth. A legend, a rumor, an old wives tale. There had been some speculation of it happening to people throughout history, but no scientific proof. And Donatello wasn’t the kind of guy to believe in something without seeing it first hand for himself. 

So, if he didn’t look at it, that would mean it didn’t actually exist… Right?  

Uncertainty pulled at the corners of his lips as he extended his hand in front of his brother and splayed out his fingers. A bright red string wrapped snuggly around his smallest digit. Leonardo’s eyes widened again as he stared at the thread, but this time he looked with confusion. He brought his gaze back to him expectantly and naturally, he opened his mouth to explain.

“It’s–” He started but paused when he realized how silly it would be to speak of it out loud, let alone embarrassing… “Um–”

“The Red String of Fate.” Leonardo finished for him. 

Donatello’s brows arched with surprise. “Y–You know about the myth?” 

“Well, I wouldn’t necessarily call it a myth now.”

“Oh. Right…” Donatello lowered his hand and his gaze fell with it. His eyes locked on the red string in deep thought. He curled and flexed his fingers, speculating that the construct might simply vanish if he were to tamper with its existence. But as he turned over his hand, the tail end of the string extended and pointed into a specific direction away from the both of them. The two cool-colored mutants straightened in attention, but stayed silent as they looked off in the distance. 

Eventually, Leonardo broke the silence with a question that had Donatello snapping his head back to him in disbelief. 

“So… We gonna go find them?” 

“ W-What?!” The lean mutant exclaimed and cringed at how his voice cracked. His cheeks immediately turning a darker shade of green. 

Leonardo couldn’t help but to smile, albeit a bit sheepishly. “Okay, the way I worded it was a little– weird. ”

“ Ya think? ”

“What I meant was, don’t you wanna– investigate a little? See who your cosmic soulmate is?” The blue clad turtle shrugged. 

“No!” He covered the red string on his hand with his other, as if that would snuff out his brother’s questionable curiosity. 

“What do you mean?--”

Donatello groaned tiredly. “I don’t even know if I believe in this!” 

“How could you not? The proof is right there!” Leonardo pointed at his hand.

Cautiously, Donatello lifted his right hand just enough for him to peak underneath it. Checking to see if the little red thread was still intertwined around his finger. It was of course and he groaned again.

“Okay… I suppose I can’t deny its legitimacy but–” He chewed on the inside of his bottom lip. 

Out of the twenty-million residents who lived in New York, fate had decided that he, a mutant ninja turtle, was to be romantically bound to another. Who they were or what they looked like, he had no clue, but statistically thinking… His ‘other’ was most likely a human being. And from his experience, most human beings didn’t react positively to the fact that he was a nearly seven-foot tall, bioengineered reptile when they first saw him. He doubted that it would be any different in this case.

Even with the literal string attached.

“I’m not ready.” He paused again before adding on quickly, “To see them yet that is.” He shifted his weight from one leg to the other and averted his gaze from his brothers’. 

Leonardo stared at him in silence, and it felt as if he was trying to burn a hole into his head. As if to get inside his mind and find out what he was really thinking. Just as it was beginning to feel like too much, he finally spoke.

“Alright.” His arms flopped against his side and he turned away from him, looking in another direction. “Let’s tie them up and head home then.” He gestured to the thugs with a cock of his head and started to walk off, but Donatello reached out and grabbed his arm, stopping him from going any further. 

“Leo,” he started, but licked his bottom lip in hesitation. “Thanks… And please don’t tell Raph or Mikey. Especially Mikey.” 

An amused puff of air escaped Leonardo’s nostrils. “I won’t say anything to them, but you know Mikey’s gonna be upset when he eventually finds out. Probably cry about how it didn’t happen to him instead.” 

Donatello hummed in agreement and for a split second, he kind of wished it had happened to his orange-clad brother instead. At least then he’d be able to observe the phenomenon from the outside and record his findings on the matter if he were to experience it for himself. Normally, he didn’t mind going into things ‘ blind ’, metaphorically speaking. It was part of being a scientist, figuring things out through trial and error. But with this kind of subject? He’d prefer to have some knowledge on how to go about it. Unfortunately, he was on his own. 

Turning to follow his brother, Donatello took one last look in the direction the red string pointed off to and wondered if you were having the same troubling thoughts? Then, the idea of you looking for him crossed his mind and it pushed his focus back to the round up. The last thing he wanted was for you to find him in the middle of the night, amongst bodies of thugs, and with a bloodied face. 

[elegantmarigold]

Love and fire, the only two options.

Based on this kids version of Les Miserables of all things that I find *extremely* entertaining. One day these children will level up to the real book and have the pleasure of reading a whole chapter about the priest who never shows up again.

I promise I love Les Miserables but it's *incredibly* difficult to recommend. Don't ask why I immediately thought of TMNT for this, I had a vision and I shared it, autism is a powerful thing.

These pages immediately follow each other

[king-super-saiyan]

😬✨😬✨😬✨😬✨

via orbssyai

[starlightyellow]

Starlight's Weekly Finds 3/20-3/27

Hi! My name is Starlight and I want to push myself more to post more of what I like on my account, so what better way to do that then to throw all my niche interests in a post to encourage others to talk about them too! This newsletter will consists of a read, a music wrap, and a movie of the week. As this goes, I'll add more or less depending. thanks for tuning in this week and I hope you come back for the next.

Read of The Month

This week I'd finally gotten around to getting a digital library card from @queerliblib ! The Queer Liberation Library is a free digital library the is entirely comprised of books created by LGBT+ BIPOC authors. They have such a ride variety of audiobooks and scanned copies that I feel there's something for everyone. To apply for a library card is free, however please be mindful it may be a bit of a wait for your library card depending on when you apply. I was lucky and received mine within like a few days of applying. All info to learn more and to apply will be on the @queerliblib socials.

I'm currently reading Between Perfect and Real by Ray Stoeve. It follows a trans guy named Dean who is recently cast as a major male lead in a school play. The story follows how Dean navigates his transition while also juggling graduating school and making it to an acting school in New York. I'm about halfway through and I highly recommend.

Music Wrap of the Week.

Okay so this section alone will probably turn into it's own individual post at some point considering I finally am getting into KPOP. I'm focusing on girl groups right now and I've listened to ALOT this week. Here's only a few of my favorites from the week.

QWER: Secret Diary

Okay, I give. This first song is technically a band as opposed to a girl group. However, their music is so good I have to let it slide. Debuting on October 18 2023, QWER is a South Korean girl band consisting of 4 members(shown below). QWER is such an interesting Kpop group to me with the members pulling inspo and influence from American bands like Slipknot and Red Hot Chilli Peppers. They bring something a little different that I really love.

Pictured left to right: Magenta(24), Hina(23), Chodan(25), and Siyeon(23).

XG: Winter Without You

The next on the list came as a pleasent surprise, because I didn't know I had heard a song from them before. You may know this 7 member group from their song Shooting Star, which is a great song, but just a little played out after the sped up version went viral on TikTok. Winter Without You leans more into the RNB aspect of the group's concept, and it makes me feel like Christmas should be here again. If you like modern holiday songs or were a big fan of Ariana Grande's album Christmas and Chill, this song was made for you.

Pictured left to right from top row to bottom: MAYA(18), Hinata(21), Juria(19), Harvey(21), Cocona(18), Jurin(21), and Chisa(22).

Loossemble- Real World

LOOSSEMBLE is a group that caught my eye from their single Sensitive, but Real World I feel is an underrated song on their debut album. Debuting September 15, 2023 LOOSEMBLE consists of 5 members(PICTURED BELOW). This is a new subdivision of the girl group LOONA, with some members also being from LOONA 1/3 respectively. Just like with my other recs this week, the whole debut album is a bop tbh. Honorable mention for Strawberry Soda track as well. I haven't really gotten in my LOONA bag just yet, but if it's anything like LOOSSEMBLE, I'm fully sat.

PICTURED LEFT TO RIGHT: Go Won(23) ,Hyeju(22),Hyunjin(23) ,VIVI(27), and Yeojin(21).

Movie of the Week : TMNT (2007 Film)

To say I'm a TMNT fanatic would be an understatment. No matter what gen TMNT is in, I can always find something to cherish about every form of content that been pumped out ofer the years. More praise should be given to this film as a whole. Yes at points the animation of the turltes can be a little.... jarring to say the least.

However, the storyline is so good I can overlook the jumpscare that is having to look at them during certain scenes. This is one of this first instances on screen prior to the Michael Bay films that I felt really allowed Leo to be more than just a leader to his brothers.

Leonardo in most depictions up until recent years was always shown as the levelheaded leader who rarely has a genuine spat with his team and if he does, it usually has to do with the stress from being a leader and not neccesarily with having to be a brother.

This film follows the turtles after Leo returns from what was supposed to be a few months' mission that turned into a year and him trying to recollect his team. You have Mickey and Donnie who are elated the Leo is home, while Raph carries on as though nothing has changed, almost mad that Leo had the gull to come back.

This boils over into a moving fight scene between Raph and Leo, but the difference from this onscreen arguments between the two than the ones at the time were that they allowed Leo to argue, even physically fight Raph but not as his leader. It was a his genuine brother. They allow Leo to get fed up and tired of Raph's attitude enough to give into the preconceived notion that Raph thinks Leo has about him. If you haven't seen it, I would make it a point to. Especially for this scene alone. Def a 5/5 in my book.

And that's a wrap! Thank you so much for reading my first put together blog post!

[brunhielda]

Ah… the moment when you want to make an OC that is a responsible ADULT to take care of the children and make them feel safe.

Maybe even handle a few of those life threatening situations for them.

Happens to us all.

I mean… mine first happened for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, but it’s always wild watching it happen to any fandom with teen heroes. I feel like the Auntie in the corner drinking like-

“Oh, ready for the adult table are we? Let me tell you some shit about that poor tyke in the Avatar series. At least it’s not the insanity of the Animorphs series. Still war, but less torture, so there’s that. Also, don’t be fooled by the idiots in Harry Potter either. “Oh no, there’s a monster in the castle!” - and yet somehow it is still an institution of learning the next year, I swear, don’t even get me started on the dealt tournament for “building international cooperation” in the fourth book- here, have a glass of wine, you’ll need one if you’re going to keep up in this corner of the room.”

Insert mad cackling here.

Anyways, if you want a show with decent parent stuff happening, Teen Wolf isn’t bad. As soon as they know what’s going on they are INVOLVED, you know?

I think we all agree that Stranger Things is the high example for doing it right- in a perfect world the kids would handle nothing, but it’s not a perfect world, and they are smart enough to help save it so we will respect that- A+ parenting in impossible situations. You love to see it.

For a fuller discussion of the whole issue- “Fantasy High” in its third season on streaming at “dropout” is handling this exact theme beautifully. Could write a whole analysis on that, but I am pretty sure some else already has so…

In my opinion, the OG of this discussion is Buffy. She wanted to be a HS kid. Her friends wanted to help her and slowly realize the price for that. Giles had some internalized backwards thinking that he had to overcome to actually be helpful, but the fact that he really tried to do that was so beautiful. I think the key moment is the moment her Mom finds out and tries to force her to stop, and Buffy has a moment where she chooses essentially saving the world over her Mother’s love. Like- Mom was coming from a place of trying to protect her kid, but didn’t fully understand the stakes. Buffy understood the stakes, but was also somewhat conditioned at that point to think she had to handle everything on her own, which blows up later in the episode.

It is the beginning of re-examining the “absent parent” trope of the nineties and moving into the “over protective” trope that leads to kids saying nothing (also bad) of the early 2000s, which gets us to the “how do we support and keep as much of the crushing weight of the world off thier shoulders” discussion we find ourselves in today.

If you join the “protective aunties drinking in the fanon corner” you gotta, at some point, discuss Buffy is all I am saying.

Also, side point: we get to explore all that in Buffy because of the frankly insane amount of episodes. Idk any show could pull off fully exploring a theme so thoroughly today. 🤷🏻‍♀️ .Maybe a book series. Not in the same manner though. They don’t so the fun super thin chapter books by the dozens anymore either. Only thick long fiction. Something about that can make themes preachy if you aren’t really good at what you are doing.

Uncle Rick remains the exception of excellence as usual. The adults are failing, but he calls them on it, and the situation slowly improves as you go.

You know who really got shitty situations kids find themselves in? Roald Dahl. Every single book- “This world is a misery, but there’s always something around to help even the scales if you are clever.” Adults were either outright abusive or called out for being ineffectual. He would have immensely enjoyed the auntie corner of fandom, and cheered it on, even for stories he knew nothing about.

Anyways, welcome to the adult corner. It’s dreadful here, mostly, but we got wine, so that’s something. 🍷

PJO show fucks with my brain because I was Percy’s age when I first read lightning thief and wanted to go on those adventures so bad but now I’m 18 and watching this show while my 13 year old sister is growing up with the PJO books and I can’t imagine sending her to these quests she’s just a child

[mermmarie]

The Red String of Fate: Ch. 2

Pair: Donatello x Reader

Word Count: 2k

Rating: T?? (Characters depicted are adults)

Content/Trigger Warnings: N/A

Authors Notes: Chapter 2 of my Red String of Fate fanfic. I'm about 75% through chapter 3 and hopefully I'll be able to finish it within the next couple of days. If you missed chapter 1 you can read it here. Hope you enjoy!

||Chapter 1|| ||Chapter 2|| ||Chapter 3|| ||Chapter 4||

—————————————————–

CHAPTER 2: SEEKING RED

What you thought had only been a couple of minutes of staring at the small red string actually had been thirty minutes, and thirty minutes had quickly turned into an hour. Generally, you chose to spend your hours of the night in a different manner, but this particular ordeal had demanded your attention. Your mind was a hive of thoughts. Unable to be quieted as many questions buzzed inside your head. All questions about your cosmic soulmate. 

What did they do for a living? Did you two share the same interest? Had they always been in New York, or had they moved from somewhere else? Were they handsome or beautiful by conventional standards? Where were they right now?...

You supposed most of the questions didn’t really matter. After all, the universe was telling you that you were destined to be together regardless of your personal preferences and opinions. And, who were you to tell the universe it was wrong? It had blessed you with life. Sure, sometimes it could be a pain, but there were thousands of people born every day, yet it bestowed the gift of true love upon you. You were grateful, no matter who your soulmate ended up being. 

Or so you had planned to be until you noticed the crimson thread laced around your finger had begun to fade and disappear all within seconds. The excited tingle that had been fluttering in your chest since discovering the little red string quickly turned into frantic fear when it vanished from your hand. You shot up from your seated position in your recliner and stuck out your arm in front of you. Hoping that perhaps it was just a trick of lighting that had made it disappear, but when the colored strip did not reappear around your ring finger, despair flooded your heart.

“No… No! No!! ” You shook out your hand, foolishly believing the movement would bring it back. It had just been there a minute ago, why was it gone all the sudden?! What could it possibly mean that it just up and vanished? Was there some kind of time crunch you didn’t know about when it came to the fated string? Had you missed your chance of meeting your soulmate because instead of going out and looking for them, you had chosen to stay inside and ogle at the apparition on your finger like an idiot!

Or…

Your blood ran cold at the dark thought and you had to physically shake it from your mind. You were overreacting… At least you hoped you were– No! You were! Everything was okay!! So what the string had suddenly disappeared? Maybe it had never actually existed in the first place! You had already admitted to yourself that you hadn’t believed in the fairytale anyway!...  But then– why did you imagine it to be real? 

Suddenly, a fierce wave of exhaustion crashed over your mental. Whether the existence of the string was real or not, this was a lot of excitement for one night. You had stayed up later than usual; perhaps your sense of sight was in need of some rest and the magical thread would return in the morning. Although, the theory didn’t stop you from brushing the tip of your fingers over the spot where the red string used to be in one last attempt to make it reappear. 

It didn’t of course…

Defeat pulled your features downwards. A frown etching into your face and your shoulders slumping tiredly as you shuffled to your room. You didn’t care to do any of your nighttime routines before sleep. All you wanted to do at this point was close your eyes and shut off your mind of any more exhausting thoughts. You figured it might be difficult to achieve due to the anxiety inducing factors of tonight, but shortly after laying your head down on your pillow, your conscious began to drift away. 

—————————————————–

During their march back to the lair, Donatello unstrapped the ipad from his left arm, and began pulling up every Wikipedia entry, news article, and blog post he could find on the Red String of Fate. Being the brainiac he was, he wanted to know everything there possibly was to know about the phenomenon, regardless of how credible the sources were. And any bit of information would be helpful when it came to his dilemma with the matter…

As he swiped his left pointer finger up the glass screen his attention was caught by the flicker of red on his smaller finger. Curious, he diverted his gaze to the apparition, his eyes growing larger behind his frames as he watched the crimson string vanish from his digit. His lips parted at the sight, and when it completely disappeared, he stopped in his tracks. Moving the ipad into his right hand, he brought his left closer to his face for inspection. His heart pounded against his plated chest as he twist and turned his palm but was unable to find the red thread. 

Why had it suddenly vanished? 

There had to be a reason for it, even if the whole idea of destiny bound twine had seemed impossible up until earlier on in the night. It wouldn’t just disappear without an explanation… At least, he hoped it wouldn’t.

Before panic could trickle into his mind, he brought his ipad back into view and started a new search on ‘Red String of Fate disappearing.’ To his satisfaction and slight frustration, thousands of results came up, but thankfully, his reading speed was far beyond average. Within a few minutes he would be able to surmise a theory as to why the thread had suddenly ceased to exist. His eyes zipped back and forth across the glass screen all the while he repetitively flicked his right pointer up the device. 

Abruptly, he pressed down on the tablet with the tip of his finger to stop the article he was currently examining from scrolling when he noticed something of interest. His eyes narrowed on the screen and he mouthed the words silently as he read over the text, only to be jolted out of his concentration when his blue-coded brother called out to him once more. 

“Donnie! You all good?” Leonardo questioned from the other end of the sewer tunnel they had been traversing. 

Donatello grumbled quietly before responding. “Ye-Yeah! I just– You go ahead without me, I’ll be with you shortly.” He nodded his head for added reassurance. 

Leonardo stared in response, but eventually shrugged his shoulders and turned away. Donatello released a soft sigh from his nostrils, relieved that his brother didn’t seem to notice the missing apparition from his finger. That or he didn’t care to bring it up, which he was equally grateful for. It was nerve-wrecking enough that it appeared in the first place. He didn’t need another being freaking out as to why it suddenly disappeared. Although, he might’ve just found the answer…

Directing his attention back to his tablet, he continued reading. 

[While the urban legend of the Red String of Fate has been around for centuries it’s a wonder there hasn’t been any hard recordings of the occurrence. There have been many theories as to why that may be, such as; only those afflicted by the magical thread are able to see it–]

Welp, by the way his brother had reacted to the sight of his left finger earlier on in the night, that wasn’t the case. 

[Or, perhaps the phenomenon worked similarly to other mystical happenstances and could not be physically documented--]

Donatello’s eyes rolled up in thought. He supposed that could be true, as he hadn’t tried taking a picture of the string when it was originally on his finger, but that didn’t explain why it suddenly vanished. His eyes dropped back down and he carried on. 

[Or, it could simply boil down to a missed connection--]

The top of his mask rose behind his glasses as his brows arched with interest. 

[Mythology Specialist, Yue Lao, theorizes that the reason why there hasn’t been any present-day findings of the Red String of Fate is because today’s society is always on the move. Whether that be commuting to work, making a trip to the grocery store, traveling to see your family, or taking a vacation away from home, there may be the possibility that you just missed making a connection with your soulmate. Yue Lao suspects that there is a maximum distance between those fated where the string will present itself–]

Slowly, the tablet dropped from out of his view, and down to his waist. He turned slightly, and looked back over his shoulder and down the tunnel where he once was. It couldn’t possibly be that simple, could it?... Only one way to find out.

He turned his body completely to face the opposing end of the tunnel away from his home and cautiously took a step forward. Bringing up his left hand to look at his finger, a brow twitched when the red string did not reappear. A twinge of disappointment struck his heart, but he fought back the urge to frown. After all, he had only taken a single step. As a scientist, he knew all too well that the first experiment never produced the desired results. 

This time, he took two steps, followed by two more when the crimson thread still did not show. A frustrated huff escaping him. Where he was standing now should’ve been the location where the apparition had begun to disappear. If there was any truth to Yue Lao’s theory, then his current position should’ve been within the maximum range of their cosmic bond….. Unless… His soulmates position had moved as well. 

Without wasting another second, he moved. 

The grimy water of the sewers splashed underneath the hurried steps of his boots. Being as tall as he was, he easily traveled a considerable amount of distance in only a few steps but that didn’t convince him to slow his pace. He extended his left arm in front of him as he walked and locked his eyes on his smallest digit. If he had been anywhere else, he might’ve been concerned that he would run into a wall but this was his home. He was so confident in his knowledge of the ins-and-outs of the sewers, that he didn’t even care to slow down when he came to an unilluminated section of the underground tunnels. 

But within seconds of entering the darkened area, the lack of light was illuminated with red. 

Immediately, Donatello came to a stop. Slapping his right hand to his left wrist, as if he needed the support to keep it up and in his view. He drew in a sharp breath, and the sound was amplified in the enclosed space, but he didn’t care. All that had mattered was that the little red string had reappeared on his finger, the tail end of the thread trailing off in the distance just like before. Relief made his chest swell and he could tell he was smiling by the way the bottom of his glasses met his cheeks. 

As much as he wanted to relish the moment, the logical part of his brain urged him to test the magical threads’ validity, and he couldn’t deny the concerning thought. Hesitantly, he took two steps backwards and his eyebrows bent as he watched the crimson color vanish from his finger once more, so he quickly retracted those steps. A soft sigh flittered from his lips when red reemerged through the darkness. If he was being honest, the color used to have a negative connotation for him personally. Red was the color of blood, the color his most temperamental brother dawned, and he feared the idea of losing himself to only be able to see the stark color.  But right now?... It was lovely.

Yue Lao’s theory was right, there was a maximum distance in which the myth would present itself which made sense– especially in his case since he spent most of his time underneath New York City. Knowing this, a strange mixture of peace and determination flooded into his being, washing away the reservations he had earlier on in the night. If the sun wasn’t going to be up in a couple of hours, he’d go back to the surface right now, but that was alright. He understood how this worked now. 

Tomorrow night he was going to find out who his soulmate was. 

—————————————————–

End notes: Tagging @eveandtheturtles because they requested it. (: If anyone else would like to be tagged on upcoming chapters, please let me know! I'm happy to oblige! 💖